Kathryn Bigelow’s latest may be without an official title at the time of writing, but such is the pedigree of the Oscar-winning director (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) that her latest creative venture has been assembling an enviable roster of Hollywood talent.
With The Force Awakens star John Boyega circling, Deadline is reporting that Ben O’Toole, Jack Reynor and The Revenant alum Will Poulter have all closed deals to feature in Bigelow’s drama, which is set against the devastating riots that engulfed the streets of Detroit across five blisteringly hot days in the summer of 1967.
Details remain few and far between regarding which characters O’Toole, Reynor and Poulter will embody, though it’s understood Bigelow – in teaming up with long-time screenwriter and friend Mark Boal – will take a deep dive into the “systemic racism” that cast a looming shadow over the Motor City four decades ago.
Historically speaking, at the time, Michigan State governor George Romney was left with little choice but to call upon the National Guard to stem the public unrest, bringing an end to a clash that left 43 people dead and more than 1,000 injured. This, coupled with the pressing race relations in the United States today, ought to ensure Bigelow and Boal’s cook up some potent, potentially awards-friendly drama next year.
Production is set to begin on Kathryn Bigelow‘s as-yet-untitled feature this summer. Sources claim that a 2017 release date is the goal, though no studio is attached as yet.
